The Mercedes-Benz G-Class was built from 1979, but Mercedes-Benz USA only began selling it in 2002 as the G 500. Everything before that, the W460 (1979–1991), the W461 (1992 onward) and the early W463 (1990–2001), came in only as gray-market cars. All W460s and W461s and W463s built through October 2001 are legal today.
Why Americans want it
The early G is the honest version: short overhangs, three locking differentials, manual gearboxes, canvas-top 230GEs, long-wheelbase 300GD diesels, and the civilian W463 with the 3.2 and 5.0 gasoline engines. Restomod G-Wagens sell for $200,000 and up in the US; an original Portuguese or Spanish G is a quarter of that.
What was never sold in the US
- W460 (1979–1991): 230G, 230GE, 280GE, 240GD, 300GD; short and long wheelbase, cabriolet, station wagon, van. Never US cars.
- W461 (1992–2001 for our purposes): 290GD, 290GD Turbodiesel, G 230 and G 300 Professional; utility and military spec.
- W463 (1990–2001): 300GE, G 320, G 500 (from 1998), 300GD, G 300 Turbodiesel; the G 500 reached the US only for 2002.
- G 36 AMG and G 55 AMG (1994–2001): never sold in the US.
- Transmissions: 4- and 5-speed manuals on most W460/W461; automatics on most W463.
Eligible years (25-year rule)
Every W460 is eligible. W461 and W463 built through October 2001 are eligible now; a G built in November or December 2001 becomes legal in November or December 2026. Model year 2002 cars, including the first US-spec G 500, do not matter: they were US cars. The non-US G 400 CDI and G 270 CDI (2002 onward) become eligible through 2027.
What to look for
- Frame: the ladder frame rusts at the rear crossmember, the spring hangers and inside the box sections. Southern European Gs are usually sound; we show the frame on a lift.
- Body: the floor pans, door bottoms, the windshield frame and the tailgate. Cabriolet W460s rust at the rear body mounts.
- Drivetrain: differential locks must engage (test all three), transfer case leaks, and on diesels the injection pump and glow plugs.
- W463 electrics: window regulators, central locking pumps and the climate control.
- Documents: Mercedes-Benz Classic data card with the build date (essential for borderline 2001 cars), EU registration, service history. Ex-military cars have Bundeswehr or other army paperwork, which we obtain.
Typical landed price
Europe: roughly €25,000 for a good 230GE or 300GD, up to €80,000 for a late W463 G 500. Landed at Newark or Baltimore with duty at the rate in effect on entry: roughly $37,000–$108,000. A G with no rear seats (van, chassis-cab, flatbed) is classified as a truck (HTS 8704) and carries 25% duty; we state the classification on each listing.
Registration notes
- California: gasoline Gs are post-1975, so CARB lab certification applies, not guaranteed. Diesel Gs cannot be registered in California by direct import.
- Fuel: gasoline or diesel; diesels for non-California buyers only.
- Title: 17-character VIN. US title from Salvage Motors LLC.
Our take
A long-wheelbase 300GD manual is the best overlander you can buy for the money, and a 230GE cabriolet is the best-looking G ever made. Buy on frame and body condition; engines are cheap to fix, rust is not.
FAQ
Which G is the cheapest to run?
The 300GD (OM603 diesel) or 290GD. Simple, slow, nearly unbreakable.
Is a 1998–2001 Euro G 500 the same as the US 2002 car?
Mechanically close, but it is a non-US car with a different VIN and no US certification; the 25-year rule covers it.
Will the chicken tax apply?
Only on vans, chassis-cabs and flatbeds. Station wagons and cabriolets with rear seats are passenger vehicles at the standard rate.